1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods integrating into clothing or articles worn or attached to a body, components which produce electrical energy based on mechanical strain on, movement of, or pressure on the components, making the electrical energy available for therapeutic purposes.
2. Problems in the Art
It has been proven that electrical energy can have therapeutic effect on human or animal tissue, muscles, and other physiological areas. There are a variety of methods and devices on the market that use this technique. For example, what is known as a TENS unit or device converts electrical energy from an external alternating current (AC) source or a battery into an electrical field that is applied to an injured or targeted portion of the body.
One problem with known devices and systems is they require an external or battery electrical power source. This usually means either limited mobility during treatment or added weight and bulk, which can be counterproductive or cumbersome for the user. Furthermore, most devices, including TENS devices, require electrodes to be adhesively placed on a targeted location of the body. Most times, the electrodes then must be hard-wired to a control unit. This is cumbersome to install and wear. It requires immobilization of the user to place the electrodes or remove them.
Many existing devices are also relatively expensive, and require close monitoring or even operation by health care professionals.
Another problem with using known devices and systems is in prescribing an appropriate treatment for a particular condition. In particular, some level of treatment may be therapeutic, but too much or too little may not be. Even a trained health care professional cannot adequately address this issue because they cannot predict with any amount of certainty how much activity a patient may be involved in and therefore how much therapy is appropriate.
There is a real need in this area for improvement. For example, there is a real need for technology that utilizes the benefits of electrical fields for therapeutic purposes, but with less constrictions on mobility of the user during treatment. There is also a need for a more efficient and economical method for administering such therapy.